2 Peter Luger burger for lunch is a must (they don't have them for dinner). Diner burger is #2

3. Al Di La is awesome, but they don't take reservations so be prepared to wait. Aurora is one of my faves (takes reservations) and Noodle Pudding in Brooklyn Heights is another favorite (also doesn't take res', but not as crazy as Al Di La)

4. DiFara's is way better than Grimaldi's IMO. Go for lunch on a weekday if you can to avoid the chaos.

For a great burger, definitely DuMont and I also like Waterfront Ale House which also has a very good beer list. If you want an Outer Borough Shake Shake fix, head to the new Shea stadium - aka Citi Field :)

If you really want to try Al Di La but don't want to deal with the waits, I think you can still eat their full menu at their wine bar around the corner. I admit that it's not the atmosphere of the main dining room, but it is an option. And I think they are offering lunch now but I'm not 100% sure. If you end up in Carroll Gardens, there is also Fragole, Frankies or Po.

I'm sure others will chime in about Arthur Avenue - only been to the market there once for lunch after going to the Botanical Garden and it was okay.

al di la is great and they are definitely open for lunch though they are closed a couple of days so you should check. http://cherrypatter.com/2009/02/worth... if you can go during the week and get there sometime before 1 you shouldn't have to wait. definitely delicious and fresh. another option is frankies 457 which is pretty good up on court street and people have already mentioned franny's which i also love. and while you may get all the good mexican food you need in san francisco, i just went to la superior in brooklyn on berry street and that was excellent! i highly recommend that place, and also the red hook ball fields will be opening up this weekend. they are a bit of a trek but once you're there lots of excellent latin american street food, and red hook itself is very fun to check out (don't miss the bakery baked http://cherrypatter.com/2009/04/baked...